Land and Expand - Your guide to investing in Ireland

Analysis by Frontline Ventures found Ireland is one of the top three locations for companies making their first landing into Europe, and 86% of startups choose Ireland or the UK as their preferred first landing location – and with the UK’s departure from the EU following Brexit, Ireland is now the leading English-speaking EU member state.

• English-speaking, highly skilled, and multicultural
• Located in Europe and a member of the EU

Investing in a new country is never easy. Success needs the right foundations for growth and every detail’s important. With so many crucial early decisions ahead, our goal is to make them as simple and straightforward as possible

• What markets do you want to be in?
• When and how will you serve them?

Ireland has been a committed European Union member for more than 50 years. In 2023, we exported more than €197 billion worth of goods, with a diversified export base, a wide range of products and market destinations. Ireland’s contribution to the EU budget lets us avail of funding for projects ranging from building infrastructure, supporting Irish agriculture, supporting researchers, and protecting the environment.

• EU population nearly 449 million people
• Easy for other EU nationals to live and work in Ireland.

Ireland’s strong legal and regulatory landscape makes it an attractive and stable place to do business. Our legal system is based on common law, and as an EU member, we also implement regulations and laws made at European Union level.

• Incorporating a company in Ireland is straightforward, fast, and inexpensive
• There are three main vehicles for setting up a company as a multinational

For companies at any stage of growth, access to talent is vital. Ireland offers the best of both worlds: Europe’s youngest population (one-third is under 25 years of age and almost half are under 34). We’ve a highly educated workforce; 62.7% of 25-34-year-olds in Ireland have a third-level qualification, compared to the EU average of 43.1%. We also attract top talent from across the EU and beyond.

• The maximum working week is 48 hours
• The national minimum wage for people aged 20 or over is €13.50 per hour.

Ireland has several domestically headquartered banks and local divisions of global financial institutions for setting up corporate business banking facilities. New companies typically need to complete a bank mandate that has been approved by a resolution of the company directors. The company will also need to comply with KYC and AML banking rules, and financial services firms are required by law to ensure they remain complaint. IDA Ireland can arrange introductions to help achieve a faster landing

• Corporate tax rate is lower than in many other European countries
• Tax incentives for research and development

Ireland provides a thriving hub for a wide range of companies, from household names and global heavyweights to social media giants, disruptors and hungry startups. Our scale makes collaboration easy, and we make it our business to help this networking happen.

• 50% of IDA Ireland clients have been here for 10+ years
• 33% clients have been in Ireland for over 20 years

Think of us like a concierge service for your business. We’ll take you where you need to go: to business parks, office space, peer companies, business clusters, recruiters, banks, or regulators.

• Hosted site visits to potential locations where you can set up
• Tailored networking sessions

Our grant funding programme includes a wide range of supports including tax incentives and collaborative funding to help your research, development and innovation (RD&I) activity in Ireland. We also provide direct help with exploring longer-term RD&I options.

• 25% tax credit on eligible RD&I activity
• Credit claimable on revenue and capital expenditure on qualifying RD&I